Operation system and operation method using force sensor, and program

Abstract

An operation system includes: a force sensor; and a stick body configured to transmit, to a strain element of the force sensor, force or moment which has been received; and a control section configured to detect a direction of the force or moment received by the stick body, on the basis of an output of the force sensor, and to generate an operation signal for an object to be operated in accordance with the direction detected.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An operation system comprising:
 a force sensor; 
 a stick body configured to transmit, to a strain element of the force sensor, a force or a moment which has been received; and 
 a control section configured to
 detect a direction of the force or the moment received by the stick body based on an output of the force sensor a plurality of times before generating an operation signal, and 
 generate an operation signal after the direction of the force or the moment being detected a plurality of times in a same direction as a result of applying the force to the stick body in the same direction a plurality of times, the operation signal being for an object to be operated in accordance with the direction detected, 
 wherein the direction is a direction assigned to an operation to be carried out, and the control section generates the operation signal for the object to be operated in accordance with the direction detected in a case where between applications of the force to the stick body in the same direction a plurality of times, a downward force is applied to the stick body. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The operation system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the control section is further configured to
 detect a magnitude of the force or the moment received by the stick body, and 
 generate the operation signal in accordance with the direction and the magnitude of the force or the moment detected. 
 
     
     
       3. The operation system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the operation signal is a signal for controlling a state of in-vehicle equipment of a mobile body. 
     
     
       4. The operation system as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein at least the force sensor and the stick body are provided on a steering wheel of the mobile body or a center console of the mobile body. 
     
     
       5. The operation system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the control section is configured to generate a display signal for displaying a type of the operation signal to be generated. 
     
     
       6. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium in which an operation program is stored, the operation program being a program for causing a computer to function as an operation system as recited in  claim 1 , and the operation program causing the computer to function as the control section. 
     
     
       7. The operation system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the control section is configured to not generate the operation signal in response to the direction of the force or the moment being detected one time. 
     
     
       8. The operation system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the control section is further configured to
 detect a first force or moment received by the stick body before generating the operation signal, 
 detect a second force or moment received by the stick body before generating the operation signal, 
 detect a third force or moment received by the stick body and then generating the operation signal. 
 
     
     
       9. An operation method comprising the steps of:
 detecting, from an output of a force sensor, a direction of a force or a moment applied to the force sensor a plurality of times before generating an operation signal; and 
 generating an operation signal after detecting the direction of the force or the moment applied to the force sensor a plurality of times in a same direction as a result of applying the force to the force sensor in the same direction a plurality of times, the operation signal being for an object to be operated in accordance with the direction detected, 
 wherein the direction is a direction assigned to an operation to be carried out, and the control section generates the operation signal for the object to be operated in accordance with the direction detected in a case where between applications of the force to the stick body in the same direction a plurality of times, a downward force is applied to the stick body. 
 
     
     
       10. The operation method of  claim 9  further comprising the steps of:
 detecting a first force or moment output by the force sensor before generating the operation signal, 
 detecting a second force or moment output by the force sensor before generating the operation signal, 
 detecting a third force or moment output by the force sensor and then generating the operation signal.